The present invention is directed to a self-locking pin mounting arrangement for removably mounting conveyor belt cleaner scraper blades to a cross-shaft of a conveyor belt cleaner, and in particular to a mounting arrangement which includes a pin having a shank with one or more annular grooves which is adapted to be inserted into a bore in a base member of a scraper blade.
Threaded fasteners, such as threaded bolts and threaded nuts, are often used to mount rubber or elastomeric conveyor belt scraper blades to the cross-shaft of a conveyor belt cleaner. Conveyor belt cleaners are used in hostile environments wherein the fasteners become corroded and are often impossible to be removed without the use of a cutting torch. Even when threaded fasteners can be removed without the use of a cutting torch, it is often a difficult and time consuming process due to the conditions found in and around conveyors.
Other types of scraper blade mounting arrangements which do not utilize threaded fasteners have been used to removably mount scraper blades to cross-shafts. One such mounting arrangement is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,953,689 of Martin Engineering. This mounting arrangement utilizes a track in which the scraper blade is slidably inserted. Over long periods of time fines from the conveyed material can build up in the track and make removal of scraper blades difficult. In addition, even in track mounting arrangements some type of fastener is needed to prevent horizontal sliding movement of the scraper blades. Other mounting arrangements, known as cartridge systems, use a single cylindrical pin at each end of the scraper blade to prevent removal of the blades. The cartridge type of mounting arrangement is useful in connection with conveyor belt cleaners that are used with conveyor belts having a small to medium width, and for conveyor belt cleaners that include a one-piece scraper blade.
A mounting arrangement for removably connecting a scraping member to a support member. The mounting arrangement includes a first mounting member and a second mounting member adapted to be attached to the support member. The first mounting member includes one or more first apertures and the second mounting member includes one or more second apertures. The mounting arrangement includes a base member adapted to be attached to the scraping member. The base member includes a bore including an inwardly projecting first annular rib and a spaced apart inwardly projecting second annular rib. Each annular rib includes a generally cylindrical side wall located between a first generally conical side wall and a second generally conical side wall. The bore also includes a generally cylindrical side wall located between the first and second ribs that has a diameter that is larger than the diameter of the cylindrical side walls of the first and second ribs.
The mounting arrangement includes a mounting pin having a shank that is adapted to be inserted into the first and second apertures of the first and second mounting members and the bore of the base member. The mounting pin includes a first annular groove and a spaced apart second annular groove. Each annular groove includes a generally cylindrical surface located between first and second generally conical surfaces. The first annular groove of the shank is adapted to receive and interlock with the first annular rib of the base member and the second annular groove of the shank is adapted to receive and interlock with the second annular rib of the base member. The first rib of the base member interlocks with the first groove of the pin and the second rib of the base member interlocks with the second groove of the pin such that the ribs resist removal of the pin from the bore of the base member while allowing removal of the pin from the bore of the base member upon application of sufficient force to the pin.